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VBT – Kings and Queens by Anarie Brady and Jae El Foster
Kings & Queens
by Anarie Brady and Jae El Foster
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB
As I Follow – Blurb by Anarie Brady
Princess Orla must first learn to follow if she is to lead her homeland once her evil step mother is dethroned. Who better to teach her than Prince Darcy, the leader of the rebellion against Queen Ena and a strict but fair Dominant who would love nothing better than to take the beautiful Orla in hand and return the kingdom of Athas to its former glory.
The Man With the Kind Eyes – Blurb: by Jae El Foster
Bridgette Mahoney just wanted a better life for herself and the people suffering under a corrupt president. What she gets is nominated to be Queen of the country whether she wants the position or not.
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EXCERPT
As I Follow, So Shall I Lead excerpt:
“Princess, might I have a word?” a deep voice startled her out of her thoughts.
“Prince Darcy!” she squeaked, jumping to her feet. “Of course.”
“Shall we take a walk? I understand you have only seen this room of the Chateau. I’d like to give you a tour,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
Hesitantly she reached out her own hand and nodded. Ever since Gala shared some of her experiences in the Chateau’s training rooms, Orla had been curious. Actually, she had been dying to know more. While Gala had not gone into details, she had spoken of the feelings evoked by some of her sessions. Orla longed to experience such feelings of freedom, power, and something indescribable. During the past few weeks, she had witnessed the beauty of a woman kneeling before a man, the protective gentleness in the eyes of a dominant, and the glow of pride when a dominant praised his submissive. Orla felt a tingle deep within her body and had to admit that she longed for such feelings as well.
“Do you understand the dual nature of this facility?” Darcy asked as he led her down an ornate hallway.
“I believe so,” she answered. “The Chateau trains people in the arts of dominance and submission. Submission primarily, because, according to Gala, every good dominant understands what it is like to be a submissive.”
“That’s right.”
“People pay handsomely for the privilege of coming here to learn. The tuition then pays for the training of warriors who are in resistance to Queen Ena. They wish to overthrow her and place me back on the throne,” Orla said quietly.
“Indeed. Orla, it was your father’s last wish that you also be trained,” Darcy stated. “I am more than willing to help you learn how to become an effective ruler, but to become an applicant, you must yourself request it. We do not force anyone here. We abide by the dictums of Safe, Sane, and Consensual.”
Orla stopped walking and turned to face Darcy. “I understand and greatly respect you for following those dictums. Over the past few years, I have had no choice in what I wear, what I eat, when I speak, what I do, not even when I sleep. I’m ready for freedom of choice. My father also taught me that freedom is possible only when everyone agrees to follow certain guidelines. I don’t know if I’m ready to consent to this training yet, but let’s finish the tour and then I’ll decide.”
Darcy smiled and Orla breathed a sigh of relief. Despite Gala’s assurances, she hadn’t been sure that Darcy would respect her decision.
“Princess, I see you are wise as well as cautious. Both excellent characteristics in both a ruler and a submissive. Shall we continue?” he asked before tucking her hand into the crook of his arm.
Orla’s eyes widened and her heart began to beat erratically as Darcy showed her every room of the Chateau. First, there was the Medical Room where applicants were given a thorough medical exam to determine their overall fitness. “No one is excluded because of a physical difficulty,” he explained, “but it is essential that a primary be intimately familiar with any limitations. For example, if an applicant has respiratory difficulties, then the primary knows never to engage in breath play and to be very, very cautious about gags.”
“Good to know you take safety seriously,” Orla commented.
“It’s the first S of our motto – Safe, Sane, and Consensual.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
Anarie Brady writes hot, happily ever after love stories filled with strong men and strong women who choose to submit to their own desires. She also loves scratching her chinchilla in all his itchy spots, sipping tea, and savoring whiskey. She absolutely adores hearing from fans, so don’t be shy!
https://anariebrady.blog/
https://www.facebook.com/Anarie-Brady-1419912908242821/
https://twitter.com/anariebrady
Jae El Foster is an author with whom you question going to bed with at night, but you dare to venture beneath the sheets with him anyway. As the venture concludes, you are perhaps romanced by it, or perhaps you are frightened by it. Don’t worry, because you are always satisfied by it. Despite the title or genre of the book, Jae El sets out to please you with climatic and unexpected conclusions that will make you tremble with emotion. Hop aboard the Jae El train and give it a good ride.
https://www.jaeelbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authorjaeelfoster/
https://twitter.com/jaeelbooks
Buy Links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kings-and-queens-anarie-brady/1128740431
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Q&A with…. Anarie Brady
Tell us about you as a person.
I’m afraid of granddaddy long legged spiders. SERIOUSLY afraid!! I KNOW they can’t really hurt humans, but I don’t care. Lifting their entire bodies with those hair like legs – YIKES!!!
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I’d like to hang with Helen of Troy. I really think she got a bad rap for that whole Trojan War thing. She has always seemed to me to be a victim, but I don’t really know, so I’d like to ask her a few questions, share a glass of wine, and just chat. Did she really WANT to leave with Paris? Which guy did she love? Did she love any of them? So. Many. Questions!
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I’m always been a fan of fairy tales, even as an adult. The basic tales, though are skeletal, so why not flesh them out with interesting, updated, adult details! I took the basic story of Snow White and ran with it, turning the seven dwarves into seven cabins, the huntsman into a strong dominate trainer, and Snow into strong willed woman who will do anything to help her kingdom and find her own happiness.
What is your writing process?
I need quiet and nice scents. When my youngest moved out on his own, my husband converted his room into an office for me. It’s painted using an umbria blue theme so it’s ocean like. I have two walls painted with chalkboard paint to jot down ideas and lots of scented candles. A nice glass of wine or whiskey doesn’t hurt either.
Tell us about your main character.
Orla is the Snow White character. Snow White, though, is often seen as sweet and helpless. If Orla was going to be a leader for her kingdom, she couldn’t be helpless. She needed to be disciplined, kind, and intelligent. Those where the main characteristics I tried to portray
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why.
For Orla – Saoirse Ronan with a dark wig. Her skin tone is incredible, love the accent, but mainly because she is an incredible actress. For Prince Darcy – Cillian Murphy. Because – well – Holy gods above he’s sexy!!
What are you working on next?
I’m actually taking a bit of a break, but hopefully not for too long. My mother is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and so right now, she takes priority over everything else.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and every other social media possible!
What is your favorite book on your shelf right now?
I just finished Before We Were Yours. ABSOLUTELY loved the book!!! As an adopted child, it struck a chord with me. Beautifully written.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I am a fabulous cook!! I’m a terrible knitter, but I love it anyway. I’m also considering going into storytelling!
You are given the choice of one super power. What super power would you have and why?
I would love to be able to half the calories in chocolate and whiskey. Why? Isn’t it obvious!
List 5 things on your bucket list:
- Visit Scotland
- Hold a grandchild
- Dance with my husband on our 60th wedding anniversary
- Pay off all of my debts
- Have a book on the New York Times bestseller list
Where can readers find you on the web?
I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and I write a blog at https://anariebrady.blog/
Any final thoughts?
The Romance genre takes a bad rap sometimes, and erotica is often given even less respect. I don’t pretend to write the next great American novel. What I write is pure enjoyment and escapism. The world is hard. Why not escape to a place where you know the ending will be happy?
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Q&A with…. Jae El Foster
Tell us about you as a person.
Here are some interesting facts that you might enjoy. I come from a line of storytellers on both sides of my family. My paternal grandfather was an excellent poet, whereas my maternal grandfather could weave the greatest tales imaginable. Even my brother has his hand in the comic book industry with excellent are and scripts. I accredit much of my talent to my genes. Another note is that Jae El Foster has only been my pen name since around 2009 or 2010. The late and great author Eric Arvin – rest in peace – interviewed me about the name change for his blog. Before that, I had been writing under my initials J. L. Foster. During this time, the great digital publishing movement was taking off, and a ton of new writers were being introduced – many of which were using their initials as their author names. I wanted to stand out, and I had been in the game long enough that I knew I could survive it. I chose the name Jae El Foster coyly. Jae El is my initials J. L. spelled out. Sadly, I’m not related to Superman, as I am commonly asked.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I would enjoy a day with the Pope. I have so many questions considering the books excluded from the Bible that are kept at the Vatican. Our current Pope also holds so much great wisdom and advice. I could tell him about all of the horrible things that I write, and he can tell me about his early days as a priest and his rise to his current position. The Pope is a man in which people should feel easy speaking with, as by now, he has already heard it all and will not be easily shocked.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
In the Kings & Queens anthology, I had two days to create an entry before the submissions deadline ended. I found out about the anthology late – it was my own fault – but I really wanted to come through for DCL Publications. They’ve been a fantastic family to me for a decade now. So, I sat down, stared at my blank word document, and considered the subject. I needed to write something different; I cannot simply write what was expected, any of the time. I decided to write about a future America and its first Queen, and so my contribution was originally titled ‘The First Queen.’ Yet, as with everything I pen, this was not merely a romance. In fact, to see the romance, one must look at romance with whole new eyes and through the vision of the lead character Bridgette. Bridgette’s romance in this belongs with the trust that she holds in a man that has no name. He is simply the man with the kind eyes. This character, originally intended to be minimally used, grew with Bridgette’s trust in him, and he was so poignant that his role brought a change in name to the story – a renaming to ‘The Man with the Kind Eyes.’ Again, this is not your typical story, and it certainly has elements of horror, suspense and science fiction that wave a thin veil over any romantic aspects. Yet, I feel it is a story that had to be told, and my hope is that it will make the readers think further than what they see or know, and that it will shock them with its unimaginable ending.
What is your writing process?
When I write, I zone everything out. Music can be playing, or not. The television can be off or on. It doesn’t matter, as my brain become one-track and my project becomes my only mission. I do not start anything without a tentative title. I must have a name to begin with – even if that name will change later on as the piece progresses. For instance, I am working on an upcoming story now that I know will have a new name by the end, as I am not happy with its current title. Once I have a title in place, I know what I’m in for when I let go of myself and allow a new voice to take over in my head. This new voice is always unexpected, and it changes from book to book. Some people call it a muse. Either way, I allow it to do the writing. I write at rapid paces since a car accident in 2015 changed the way my brain operates. I am never without a story anymore or the inability to translate thoughts to paper, and thusly I have become greatly more productive with my literary works than I was before my accident. Whereas the accident caused brain injury, it also somehow opened up my mind in creative ways like I’d never known. However, there is a downfall to this swift production of some of the best written books I’ve ever penned. Once I have finished with a story – once the edits are completed and the book is published – a new voice with a new story takes over, and I have trouble recalling what I’ve written prior without reviewing it. For instance, I would be of little help answering questions to most anything that I wrote before my accident.
Tell us about your main character.
Bridgette is your average young lady. She is no more suited to lead an army of rebels than you or I, but she does what she must because – frankly – there is no other choice. She is a survivor, determined to help free her people and avenge them for what has been done. Bridgette does not want power. She wants her people to have the power, but when a crown is placed on her head and she finds that she has no choice but to accept it, she does her best to fulfill her new destiny. Bridgette sounds like a terrific person. I will let the readers be the judge on that.
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why.
I wouldn’t care who they cast for any other role, but for Bridgette, I would like to see an unknown actress play the part. Hollywood has so much power that I believe they should use some of it to help the unknown thespians out there that can’t afford to join SAG, agents or managers. There are a lot of talented people out there, and some of them are dirt poor. A lot of them are on YouTube. I think producers and casting directors would do the world a blessing by surfing some of the talent out there and casting more unknown actors and actresses that need and deserve a break.
What are you working on next?
In production, I currently have Beauty Within arriving electronically and in print this September. This highly anticipated book is a dark, edgy retelling of Beauty and the Beast with an iconic twist that even I never saw coming. Beauty Within also incorporates a character from ‘To Adventure,’ another fairy tale of mine out right now in the anthology Enchanted Fairy Tales, available all over the place. That character is Madame Howell, and I believe you will enjoy her. In October, DCL Publications will release Restive, the long awaited sequel to my 2012 paranormal hit Restless. The story will once again follow best-selling romance novelist Nicola on another thrilling adventure. Restive takes place on one of the most magnificent islands imaginable and will reincorporate the use of the vampire genre from the first book. Restive is sure to swoon and delight lovers of romantic fiction and horror alike. Then, in November, DCL will release The Greatest Gift of All, a winter anthology of romance, holidays, family love, and good times. Whereas most of the stories in the anthology will be brand new, my contribution will be a rerelease of my 2008 story ‘Elisabeth’s Holiday Gift,’ which was originally published way back then in DCL’s When the Snow Lay Round About winter anthology. ‘Elisabeth’s Holiday Gift’ has received a full revision and facelift and is even more heartwarming than before. I’m extremely proud to see this story return, and in an anthology with an amazing cast of authors. DCL Publications has some new blood joining me, along with some beloved known names from our castle.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Work, work, work! Utilize social media. Utilize Twitter – that’s where I am most of the time. You’ll find that word of your book will travel greater distances through Twitter than with other social media networks. All it takes is building up your followers, and all that takes is work. If you have one, two, even three followers – post like you have a thousand. Use commonly visited hashtags like #amwriting or #writerslife and let people know what you have to offer. Another word of advice – don’t spam your new followers. It is bad play to send them a private message promoting yourself immediately after they follow you. Let them know what you offer through your tweets. Lead them to your website or through the buy pages for your books through your tweets. And remember: Twitter is character limited. I use http://www.tinyurl.com to make my links shorter. Also, hit me up on Twitter @jaeelbooks – I retweet often and will be happy to help spread the word.
What is your favorite book on your shelf right now?
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. It’s a great inspiration to me and my writing. I would not be who I am today without Mr. Levin, Robert Bloch, and Walt Whitman.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
No judging, but I’m one heck of a medium. I’ve been reading tarot cards since I was a child, and I’ve been communicating with the spirit would through séances, board readings, and eye readings for years. I’m also my town’s go-to person for house cleansings.
You are given the choice of one super power. What super power would you have and why?
Hypnotic influence. I would like the power to will individuals into doing the right thing.
List 5 things on your bucket list
- To write more books than humanly possible
- To finally discover the true meaning of energy’s existence
- To live by the ocean with soft sand between my toes as I walk the shoreline
- To visit Italy and pretend like I’m in Under the Tuscan Sun
- To see one of my books turned into a film – I wouldn’t even care if it sucked.
Where can readers find you on the web?
I am all over the internet. The easiest way to find me is to visit www.jaeelbooks.com – there, you will find links to my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as other fun things like contests, free stories, and essays that will take you behind the scenes of my books. Don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter while you’re there so that you can stay on top of everything that’s going on – all in a single monthly compact email. I host contests for my followers on Twitter every now and then too. All the more reason to follow me. As for the contests, you can currently enter to win a chance to be in one of my upcoming novels. I will also be introducing a rather huge contest in September. Details on that will be released in the September newsletter and through a blog posting that will be announced on Twitter.
Any final thoughts?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for hosting me, for enduring me, and for allowing me to entertain you. Remember to spread love wherever you go, as love is the most contagious thing in the world.
C.A. Milson 